Yoke of Rotating Electric Machine and Method of Manufacturing the Same

ABSTRACT

A rotating electric machine includes a bearing; a rotating shaft supported via the bearing; and a yoke with a bearing support portion formed on a yoke bottom surface. The bearing support portion houses the bearing, and on a cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion, integrally formed is a ring-shaped flange portion that is inclined toward an inner radial side so as to prevent the bearing from coming off one end side.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the U.S. National Stage of PCT/JP2006/309564, filed May 12, 2006, which claims priority from JP2005-142148, filed May 16, 2005, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference hereto.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a yoke of a rotating electric machine.

There exists an electric motor as an example of a rotating electric machine. The electric motor, for example, is constructed such that its motor shaft that corresponds to a rotating shaft is sometimes supported by, and penetrates through, a yoke bottom surface. In the yoke bottom surface, a through-hole is opened. A cylindrical bearing support portion for housing a bearing is formed at a part where the through-hole is formed. When the bearing is housed in the bearing support portion, however, the bearing will be displaced in the axial direction of the motor shaft because the bearing support portion has been formed into a cylindrical shape and there is no part to support the bearing.

In order to solve this problem, on a cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion, claw portions are formed so as to be located at a plurality of positions in the circumferential direction. The claw portions thus support one end portion of the bearing and prevents the bearing from coming off (see Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H08-149742, for example).

SUMMARY

However, in the conventional art as described above, because the claw portions are formed on the cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion, a cylindrical bearing support portion first needs to be formed. After that, on a front edge of the bearing support portion, a plurality of claw portions need to be formed by cutting using a cutting process. Then, the claw portions need to be bent so as to be formed toward the inner radial side using a bending process. This process has various disadvantages because the number of operation processes is increased, the operation is complicated, and the costs are increased. In addition, the roundness of the bearing support portion may be impaired in the course of these processes to be conducted. The present disclosure solves these problems as well as other problems and is also able to achieve various advantages.

The disclosure addresses an exemplary aspect, wherein an rotating electric machine includes a bearing; a rotating shaft supported via the bearing; and a yoke with a bearing support portion formed on a yoke bottom surface. The bearing support portion houses the bearing. On a cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion, integrally formed is a ring-shaped flange portion that is inclined toward an inner radial side so as to prevent the bearing from coming off one end side.

In another exemplary aspect, the bearing support portion is formed by burring an edge of a through-hole opened in the yoke bottom surface by use of a burring punch. The flange portion is formed by locating, at the time of burring, a front end portion of the burring punch on a base end side at a distance from the cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion.

In another exemplary aspect, a step portion formed on the rotating shaft prevents the bearing from coming off another end side.

In another exemplary aspect, a shield ring attached to the yoke bottom surface prevents the bearing from coming off another end side.

In another exemplary aspect, a method for manufacturing a yoke includes the step of forming a through-hole that is open in a yoke bottom surface and a cylindrical bearing support portion by burring an edge of the through-hole using a burring punch. The burring punch is located on a base end side at a distance from a cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion so as to form a ring-shaped flange portion inclined toward an inner radial side on the cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion.

According to various exemplary aspects of the disclosure, the bearing is reliably prevented from coming off, and a highly reliable yoke can be provided.

According to various exemplary aspects of the disclosure, the flange portion can be formed integrally when the bearing support portion is being burred. A yoke can thus be provided with a bearing support portion whose roundness can be accurately secured. The number of operation processes also can be reduced in order to raise productivity and contribute to a reduction in cost.

According to various exemplary aspects of the disclosure, coming off of the bearing can reliably be avoided, and thus a further improvement in reliability can be realized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional side view of an electric motor;

FIG. 2A is a front view, and FIG. 2B is a partially sectional side view of a yoke;

FIG. 3 is a partially sectional side view of a yoke incorporated with a bearing;

FIG. 4A is a main-part enlarged sectional view of a yoke, and FIG. 4B is the yoke incorporated with a bearing and a motor shaft;

FIG. 5 is a partially sectional side view of an electric motor of a second embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a partially sectional side view of a yoke incorporated with a bearing of the second embodiment; and

FIG. 7A is a main-part enlarged sectional view of a yoke, and FIG. 7B is the yoke incorporated with a bearing and a motor shaft of the second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Next, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an electric motor (a rotating electric machine) that functions as a fan motor. One end of a motor shaft 1 a of the electric motor 1, as will be described later, is supported on a yoke 2 via a bearing 3 that is internally fitted to a bearing support portion 2 b that is formed on a bottom portion 2 a of the yoke 2 having a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The end of the motor shaft 1 a that is supported via the bearing 3 is disposed so as to protrude outward from the yoke bottom portion 2 a.

The other end of the motor shaft 1 a is supported via a bearing 4 a on an end bracket 4 that covers an opening end of the yoke 2 (see FIG. 1). On the protruded front end portion (one end) that is protruded outward from the yoke bottom portion 2 a of the motor shaft 1 a, integrally provided is an unillustrated fan (not illustrated), which is set to integrally rotate with a rotation of the motor shaft 1 a.

The motor shaft 1 a is integrally externally fitted with a commutator 5, which is located on the end bracket 4 side (see FIG. 1). A plurality of iron cores 6 are externally fitted to the motor shaft 1 a on the yoke bottom portion 2 a side further than the commutator 5. A plurality of coils 6 a are wound around the outer circumferences of these iron cores 6, and a rotor 7 is constructed.

A striking portion 2 c is formed at the opening end of the yoke 2 in a manner enlarged to the outer radial side (see FIG. 1). Against the striking portion 2 c, struck is a striking portion 4 b that is formed on an outer radial rim portion of the end bracket 4. In a part where these striking portions 2 c and 4 b are struck against each other, a flat ring-shaped outer radial rim portion 8 a of a brush holder stay 8 is provided in a positioned manner.

In the brush holder stay 8, brush holders that include the radial rim portion 8 a are provided at four positions in the circumferential direction, respectively. In these respective brush holders, housed are brushes 8 b whose front ends slidably contact with an outer circumferential surface of the commutator 5. These respective brushes 8 b are connected to external power via pigtails (not shown), whereby the external power is supplied to the commutator 5 via the pigtails and brushes 8 b.

The respective coils 6 a of the rotor 7 are electrically connected to the commutator 5 (see FIG. 1). These coils 6 a are set to be energized by being supplied with the external power via the pigtails, brushes 8 b, and commutator 5. The rotor 7 is set to rotate in response to a magnetic field that is formed by a permanent magnet 9 fixedly attached to an inner circumferential surface of the yoke 2. These basic constructions are the same as in the conventional art.

Also, the electric motor 1 of the present embodiment is constructed so as to be attached in a state where, as shown in FIG. 1, the motor shaft 1 faces in the left and right direction and the end bracket 4 stands.

For the yoke bottom portion 2 a, a recess is provided toward the cylinder inside, and a concave portion 2 d is formed in a ring shape (see FIG. 1). An inner radial-side lateral piece of the concave portion 2 d forms the bearing support portion 2 b. The bearing support portion 2 b is formed such that its cylinder front-end portion faces the yoke bottom portion 2 a side (one-end side of the motor shaft 1 a). The bearing 3 is fitted therewith. On the cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion 2 b, formed is a ring-shaped flange portion 2 e that is inclined to the inner radial side. The flange portion 2 e is set to restrict the bearing 3 from coming off to the one-end side.

Also, in the present embodiment, it is set so that the bearing 3 fitted with the bearing support portion 2 b is prevented from coming off to the other-end side with an other-end portion of the bearing 3 being struck against a step portion 1 c that is formed between a large diameter portion 1 b that is formed on the outer circumference of the motor shaft 1 a and a one-end portion.

A description will not be provided that explains how the flange portion 2 e on the cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion 2 b is formed. For the yoke bottom portion 2 a, a step portion 2 f is shaped at the inner radial-side lateral piece of the ring-shaped concave portion 2 d (see FIG. 4B). On the inner radial side of the step portion 2 f, as shown by an alternate long and short dashed line of FIG. 4A, a groove bottom piece F to form the concave portion 2 d is shaped in a pre-formed state. The groove bottom piece F has a through-hole 2 g open at the center. A portion of the groove bottom piece F with the through-hole 2 g open is set to correspond to an inner diameter-side lateral piece of the concave portion 2 d, that is, a part where the bearing support portion 2 b is formed.

During a burring process, a cylinder front-end face 10 a of a columnar burring punch 10 is struck from the inside of the yoke 2 against the groove bottom piece F that corresponds to a hole edge of the through-hole 2 g, and the burring punch 10 is pushed out toward the yoke bottom portion 2 a side. The groove bottom piece F thus is shaped into the bearing support portion 2 b by the burring.

Here, the burring punch 10 is formed so as to have the same outside diameter in size as the inside diameter of the bearing support portion 2 b. The cylinder front-end face 10 a of the burring punch 10 of the present embodiment has a chamfered portion 10 b that is formed at the outer circumference. The outside diameter of the burring punch 10 at the cylinder front-end face 10 a is thus smaller than the inside diameter of the bearing support portion 2 b.

The burring process being conducted, an extruding motion of the burring punch 10 is completed such that a base end-side part of the chamfered portion 10 b of the burring punch 10, that is, where an outside diameter is the same as the inside diameter of the bearing support portion 2 b, the front end side part P, is located on the base end side at a distance from the cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion 2 b. Accordingly the cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion 2 b is shaped into a ring shape and inclined to the inner diameter side. This part thus serves as the flange portion 2 e of the present disclosure, and also functions as to prevent the bearing 3 form coming off.

In FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B, reference numeral 2 h denotes vent holes open in a plurality of locations in the yoke bottom portion 2 a. Reference numeral 11 denotes a bracket used for attaching the electric motor 1. For this bracket 11, a plurality of attachment pieces 11 a are formed in the outer radial direction from a cylindrical body portion that is externally fitted to the outer circumference of the yoke 2 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B). Reference numeral 12 denotes a shield ring that is fitted and attached to the concave portion 2 d of the yoke bottom portion 2 a. Because of the shield ring 12, the interior of the yoke 2 including the motor shaft 1 a is watertight (see FIG. 1, FIGS. 2B, and 3).

In the present embodiment constructed as described above, with regard to the electric motor 1, the rotor 7 that is integrated with the motor shaft 1 a rotates as external power is supplied. At this time, the bearing 3 that freely and rotatably supports one end of the motor shaft 1 a is housed in the bearing support portion 2 b that is formed on the yoke bottom portion 2 a. And the ring-shaped flange portion 2 e that is inclined to the inner radial side is formed at the cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion 2 b. The flange portion 2 e, therefore, prevents the bearing 3 from coming off to the one-end side, which enables the bearing 3 to reliably avoid coming off from the yoke 2.

In this case, while the bearing support portion 2 b is being shaped by a burring process, the flange portion 2 e is formed, not by extruding the burring punch 10 until it reaches a state penetrating through the bearing support portion 2 b, but by extruding the front end-side part P of the burring punch 10 up to a position to be on the base end side further than the cylinder front end of the bearing support portion 2 b. As a result, there is no such problems as seen in the conventional art where the bearing support portion is formed, the member for preventing the bearing from coming off is formed by separate shaping, and disadvantageously the number of operation processes is increased to cause complication. With the present structure being adopted, not only is it easy to secure roundness of the bearing support portion 2 b, but also roundness of the bearing support portion 2 b can be secured with accuracy. Therefore, a low-cost and highly reliable yoke 2 can be formed with outstanding productivity.

With regard to the bearing 3 of the present embodiment, the step portion 1 c of the motor shaft 1 a is struck against the other end face of the bearing 3. Because of this, the bearing 3 coming off from the yoke 2 can be reliably avoided with its one-end side being prevented from coming off by the flange portion 2 e. The other-end side is also prevented from coming off by the motor shaft step portion 1 c. Therefore, further improvements in reliability can be realized. And since it is not necessary to separately provide a member for preventing the bearing 3 from coming off, a reduction in the number of components can also be accomplished; thus, a further reduction in cost can be expected.

As a matter of course, the present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned embodiment. It is also possible to carry out the present disclosure in a second embodiment shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 7. The second embodiment has the same basic constructions as does the aforementioned embodiment except that the yoke 13 has a different shape. A detailed description thereof will be omitted by using the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment.

For the yoke 13 of the second embodiment, on its bottom portion 13 a, a shallow groove-shaped concave portion 13 b to which a shield ring 15 is attached by fitting is formed in a ring shape in a recessed state to the inside of the yoke cylinder (see FIG. 6). A bearing support portion 13 e is formed by burring a groove bottom piece 13 d (a hole edge of a through-hole 13 c) with a through-hole of the concave portion 13 b toward the inside of the yoke 13. The bearing support portion 13 e of the present embodiment is formed so that its cylinder front-end portion is located on the other-end side of a motor shaft 1 a. There formed is a ring-shaped flange portion 13 f inclined to the inner radial side. And thereby a bearing 14 to be housed in the bearing support portion 13 e is set and is prevented by the flange portion 13 f from coming off to the other-end side. Furthermore, the bearing 14 is set to be prevented from coming off by being struck against a bottom surface 15 a of the shield ring 15 provided in the concave portion 13 b of the yoke bottom portion 13 a.

With regard to the flange portion 13 f of the second embodiment, when a burring process is applied to the groove bottom piece 13 d of the yoke bottom portion 13 a by use of the burring punch 10, an extruding motion of the burring punch 10 is completed as a part P that is the most front end side of the part of the burring punch 10, where an outside diameter is the same as the inside diameter of the bearing support portion 13 e, reaches a base end side further than the cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion 13 e. Accordingly, the cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion 13 e is shaped so as to be inclined to the inner diameter side. This part serves as the flange portion 13 f of the present disclosure.

As for preventing the bearing 14 from coming off on the other-end side in the present embodiment, a coming-off prevention is provided by a step portion 1 c of the motor shaft 1 a as well as the flange portion 13 f of the bearing support portion 13 e.

And therein as well, since the flange portion 13 f can be formed simultaneously at the stage of forming the bearing support portion 13 e by burring, the number of operation processes can be reduced so that the cost can be reduced. Moreover, a high roundness of the bearing support portion 13 e can be obtained, whereby an electric motor that is high in reliability can be provided.

The present disclosure is useful for a yoke of a rotating electric machine, such as an electric motor, and for a manufacturing method of the yoke. Because a flange portion also can be formed at a front end in the process of forming a cylindrical bearing support portion to support a motor shaft on a yoke bottom surface, it is not necessary to perform a cutting and a bending process. Thus, the operation can be simplified, the cost can be reduced, and a bearing support portion with high roundness can be formed. 

1. A rotating electric machine, comprising: a bearing; a rotating shaft supported via the bearing; and a yoke with a bearing support portion formed on a yoke bottom surface, wherein: bearing support portion houses the bearing, and on a cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion, integrally formed is a ring-shaped flange portion that is inclined toward an inner radial side so as to prevent the bearing from coming off one end side.
 2. The rotating electric machine according to claim 1, wherein: the bearing support portion is formed by burring an edge of a through-hole open in the yoke bottom surface by use of a burring punch, and the flange portion is formed by locating, at the time of burring, a front end portion of the burring punch on a base end side a distance from the cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion.
 3. The rotating electric machine according to claim 1, wherein a step portion formed on the rotating shaft prevents the bearing from coming off another end side.
 4. The rotating electric machine according to claim 1, wherein a shield ring attached to the yoke bottom surface prevents the bearing from coming off another end side.
 5. A method for manufacturing a yoke, comprising: forming a through-hole that is open in a yoke bottom surface and a cylindrical bearing support portion by burring an edge of the through-hole using a burring punch, wherein: the burring punch is located on a base end side at a distance from a cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion so as to form a ring-shaped flange portion inclined toward an inner radial side on the cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion.
 6. A method for manufacturing a rotating electric machine, comprising: supporting a rotating shaft via a bearing; and manufacturing a yoke according to claim 5, wherein: the bearing support portion houses the bearing, and the ring-shaped flange portion prevents the bearing from coming off one end side.
 7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of forming a step portion on the rotating shaft to prevent the bearing from coming off another end side.
 8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of attaching a shield ring to the yoke bottom surface to prevent the bearing from coming off another end side.
 9. The rotating electric machine according to claim 2, wherein a step portion formed on the rotating shaft prevents the bearing from coming off another end side.
 10. The rotating electric machine according to claim 2, wherein a shield ring attached to the yoke bottom surface prevents the bearing from coming off another end side.
 11. A yoke comprising: a bearing support portion formed on a yoke bottom surface, wherein on a cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion, integrally formed is a ring-shaped flange portion that is inclined toward an inner radial side.
 12. The yoke according to claim 11, wherein: the bearing support portion is formed by burring an edge of a through-hole open in the yoke bottom surface by use of a burring punch, and the flange portion is formed by locating, at the time of burring, a front end portion of the burring punch on a base end side at a distance from the cylinder front-end portion of the bearing support portion. 